Senator-elect Andy Biggs will not only head the Appropriations Committee – where the budget bills are traditionally assigned – the Gilbert Republican also was appointed as vice chairman of the Government Reform and Judiciary committees.

Before Russell Pearce was elected to become the next Senate president, he told colleagues that he would allow other lawmakers to sponsor a measure to end birthright citizenship while he would focus on the economy and the state budget.

Incoming Senate President Russell Pearce will concurrently chair the powerful Senate Rules Committee, one of the most sought after chairmanship positions in the chamber. He also named the rest of the committee chairs for the Senate.

Based on the preliminary results of the Aug. 24 primary election, the Arizona House of Representatives isn’t shaping up to be much changed from the past two years. There will be new faces, but philosophically, the chamber’s motto might be, “More of the same.”